Chapter 30
Chapter 30
A wild boar that looked to weigh roughly three hundred kilograms.
Six young apprentice knights standing against it.
And an old knight watching from a distance.
As a result, a faint atmosphere of battle settled over the tiny territory.
The noteworthy thing was that, regardless of appearances, everyone involved was completely serious.
"Form up!"
At the old knight's command, the children immediately split into front and rear ranks.
Their eyes were fixed on the boar.
Filled not only with tension, but with fighting spirit.
This discipline was the result of the practical training that had begun last month.
Up until now, they had been sent into real situations for experience.
Goblin extermination.
Wolf hunts.
Even helping drive away bandits from watchtowers.
Compared to the activities of a true knightly order, their accomplishments might seem insignificant.
But considering their age, they were impressive nonetheless.
Today's mission was to hunt the boar that had gored an elderly woman from the territory to death.
"..."
Some people would probably call Sir Rekun a mad old man.
From a modern perspective, he was sending children into dangerous situations under the guise of training.
If something like this happened in Sera's previous world, someone would probably be arrested for child abuse.
However.
When considering Bellark's grim future...
And the fact that this was a medieval world...
Such experiences were a necessary part of becoming a knight.
The six apprentices, including Sera, would one day become Bellark's swords and shields after Sir Rekun was gone.
They couldn't remain ordinary militia.
They needed to become something more.
A true fighting force.
"They're definitely seeing combat earlier than apprentices in other territories... but Bellark's situation isn't exactly normal."
Perhaps wealthy and prosperous territories trained their apprentices through refined and noble methods.
But this was Bellark.
A land in decline.
And they were disciples of Sir Rekun.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
If this was the task their master had assigned them, they had to overcome it.
"Black Lion Order, positions!"
No matter how many times she heard it, the name felt extraordinary.
The Black Lion Order had once been an elite knightly order numbering over a hundred members.
Back when Bellark was still a kingdom, they had even served as the royal guard.
For a handful of children, it was an absurdly grand title.
Yet—
Crunch.
The effect on morale was undeniable.
The moment they heard it, every child tightened their grip on their weapons.
Sera included.
How should she describe it?
Some kind of inexplicable knightly pride.
Hadn't she always preferred martial arts stories?
...Anyway.
She didn't fully understand why her blood boiled whenever she heard the name.
But one thing was certain.
"Brothers! In the name of Bellark!"
She was part of Bellark now.
And, however unofficially, she had inherited the name of the Black Lion Order.
"Advance!"
If that was the case—
Then she could never disgrace the name of her lord.
"Waaaaaaah!"
The battle began alongside the children's chaotic war cries.
Their pupils shook violently.
Because the emotions in their eyes weren't just determination.
They were afraid.
No amount of training could erase that.
They were still children.
The same was true for Sera.
Regardless of her memories from another life, wielding weapons in real combat was still unfamiliar.
And yet.
The apprentices charged directly at the boar.
Because behind them stood someone far more terrifying than the beast.
An old knight.
Leading the charge was Conrad.
"Hyaaah!"
The boy, already as large as some adults, slammed his tower shield into the ground and provoked the boar.
The boar immediately accepted the challenge.
Bang!
The instant shield and tusks collided, a tremendous shock traveled through Conrad's body.
His arms trembled violently.
That alone showed how much force he was enduring.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The boar of this world was both intelligent and ferocious.
Realizing its superiority in strength, it repeatedly rammed the shield to display its dominance.
Had Conrad not possessed talent for Aura, he would've been thrown away during the first collision.
Or already lying on the ground half-dead.
Either way, they couldn't afford to drag this out.
Crack!
Pan's spear flew with all his strength and pierced one of the boar's eyes.
Thunk! Thunk!
Two of Anna's arrows struck true, burying themselves in its thigh and lower leg.
"Squeeeal!"
Even so, the giant beast continued thrashing violently.
For Conrad, every second felt like an eternity.
His shield was slowly being pushed downward.
Then—
"Squeeeeeeal!"
Two arming swords dug into the boar's flanks.
Stab!
Sera attacked from the right.
Bentley from the left.
Maintaining distance, they repeatedly struck openings and accumulated wounds.
Their Aura was weak.
The difference in size was overwhelming.
So instead of aiming for a killing blow, they were counting on blood loss and eventual shock.
Bang!
Whenever the boar tried to raise its head and retaliate, Conrad smashed its skull with a mace.
Whenever it attempted to retreat, Ezekiel blocked the escape route with his long spear.
"Just hold on a little longer, Conrad!"
"Bungbung, you idiot! Back up if you don't want to die!"
"Next arrow! Hurry!"
The apprentices lacked extensive combat experience.
Yet their teamwork flowed with surprising precision.
Sir Rekun had drilled one lesson into them repeatedly:
Eliminate unnecessary movements.
Trust your allies.
However.
Real combat never unfolded exactly as planned.
"AAAH!"
The boar's fury exceeded expectations.
With a burst of monstrous strength, it knocked Conrad over along with his shield.
Ezekiel's wooden pike shattered against one of its massive tusks.
"...Damn it!"
And then—
The boar chose its next target.
Not Bentley.
Sera.
Considering their size difference, she seemed easier to eliminate.
And there was something strange about her.
While others swung their swords once, she seemed to swing twice.
She never appeared to tire.
And from time to time, she unleashed heavy shockwaves.
To the boar's instincts, she was the greatest threat on the battlefield.
She needed to die first.
"Ghk!"
Sera noticed the change immediately and hurriedly tried to raise her sword into a defensive position.
But she was already too late.
The tusks had reached her.
Crash!
The sound of leather armor tearing apart.
The sound of ribs cracking.
"Khk!"
Even though she instinctively rolled with the impact to reduce the damage, she still suffered serious injuries.
Had she not possessed the trait that tripled her armor's durability, she would've been incapacitated instantly.
"Huff... Huff..."
Sera focused on breathing.
Again and again.
She needed to stay conscious.
Her physical stats were exceptional.
Not equal to Aura users, but enough that a brief rest would let her recover.
Snort!
Unfortunately.
The boar had no intention of granting her even a moment's respite.
Perhaps Sir Rekun had already judged that she had reached her limit.
The old knight watching from afar suddenly began moving.
Even his casual stride was faster than the boar's charge.
The difference between their levels was impossible to comprehend.
"Ugh!"
Even so.
Sera desperately reached for her arming sword again.
It wasn't merely because she didn't want her master to see weakness.
She refused to accept such a powerless defeat.
The enemy she sought revenge against was far stronger than this.
If she couldn't overcome even a boar, then she would never achieve anything.
And somewhere deep inside lingered another childish fear.
What if Master looked at her and said:
"So this is the limit of someone who can't use Aura."
Perhaps it was the intensity of her determination.
Or perhaps it was simply fate.
Ding!
The sound announcing Sera's twelfth birthday echoed through her mind.
And with it—
Trait Selection
As always, three choices appeared before her eyes.
Sera's bloodshot eyes quickly scanned the floating options.
Then—
Just as Sir Rekun was about to arrive.
She made her choice.
And swung the arming sword in her right hand.
Slash!
The blade struck the boar's neck.
A single attack.
Just one.
And the massive beast was cleanly split into two pieces.